“Steve”
Each of the quad got paid in earth money this time. And it was 10,000… each. Lydia accepted it graciously, Aloice looked like he was about to cry (not out of joy but because he was so nervous having that much money) and James and Samantha nearly passed out before they decided to go out and spend a little cash. After school on Monday they went shopping, although separately. It was December now which meant Christmas was coming up for James and Hannuka was coming up for Samantha.
James was looking for something specifically for his mom. It was an agonizing few hours of wandering around local stores with a hole burning in his pocket before he found the right thing. A beautiful handcrafted rosary. It was nearly identical to the one she already had, but she’s had that for what was probably decades and it was worse for wear. This one would last her for a long long time.
Samantha on the other hand went crazy. Her brother got a new gaming PC, a PS5 and so much random fun junk that Samantha nearly blew half her budget. And then Lydia had to help Samantha sneak them all into the mansion while Johnny was distracted by Sarah. Samantha being the impatient woman she is gave Johnny his PC early so they could begin playing games together. At this point her dads house felt miles and miles away like it’d never bother her and Johnny again.
Also that week something very interesting happened. The four of them were eating lunch together at GCS when a cherry red Lamborghini drove into the parking lot and parked in the fire lane. The entire courtyard erupted in talk. What was this thing doing here? Who was in it? And soon their questions were answered as none other than Nico appeared out of the car. Looking around, spotting Aloice, and striding forward.
It’s very important to know that Nico is not just beautiful/ handsome. He is supernaturally beautiful/handsome. He has a literal magical aura of charm and raw sex appeal around him. So when an entire school of teenagers, lay eyes on this other worldly being… in Laymans terms, everybody wants to fuck. So a horde of teens from all over the courtyard descended.
It was hilarious to Lydia but she knew if she didn’t step in it could get bad. So with the rest of the group following behind Lydia made her way. It was like trying to make your way through a phalanx by seasoned Roman soldiers. Except instead of Roman soldiers it was extremely Randy teenagers. But Lydia, with the help of some superhuman strength, managed to make her way through to Nico.
“You’re not from around here are you?”
“I love your hair.”
“You’re so tall!” Were the comments commonly heard around Nico. Nico in his fascination of human culture and customs engaged with everyone he possibly could, although he did manage to keep everyone at a little less than arms length away. That was until he saw Aloice emerge from behind the wall that is Lydia.
“Hey babe!” Nico said excitedly, walking up to Aloice and kissing him. Aloice was of course a blushy mess for a few moments before he could thing again.
“What are you doing here?” Aloice asked, glancing around and seeing just how disappointed everyone around him was. The hottest man possible appears. Turning men gay and lesbians straight by his mere presence. Only to be taken, by ALOICE. Aloice who was the known weirdo and outcast had somehow pulled a god. In about 5 seconds Aloice’s social standing in the highschool completely changed. He went from being the weird guy to the MYSTERY THAT NEEDED TO BE SOLVED.
“So he’s your boyfriend? How long have you been with him?” One of the women in the crowd asked, she had seemingly ordained herself as Nico’s friends.
“Bit over a week.” Nico replied cheerily. The new information rippled through the crowd. Like a pack of hungry vultures waiting for the death of a plump rabbit. The relationship was new and a wedge could be driven between them. Lydia decided once she saw the hungry eyes of these teens that she should call Luca. And while the crowd clamored about Nico Lydia’s phone rang.
“Hello Lydia, what do I owe the pleasure of this call too?” Luca answered eloquently.
“Nico decided he’d come to see his boyfriend while at school. His… presence is having an effect on our classmates. Oh and the fact that he parked his Lamborghini in the fire lane doesn’t help.” Lydia answered.
“Thank you for letting me know.” Luca said, promptly hanging up. Extremely quickly Nico’s phone rang and he picked it up.
“He Luca!… yes… yes… ok.” Nico looked a little crestfallen. “I’ve gotta go.” He looked like a little puppy.
“Burgers after school, my treat.” Aloice promised, “see you then!”
“By babe!” Nico kissed Aloice on the lips and then left, leaving all of these teenagers disappointed. But soon they had a new target of gossip, and a person to befriend to get their way to the top of an imagined social ladder. Aloice. He had a hot boyfriend so there must be SOME secrets.
“How did you pull him?” A girl asked.
“Saved him from a group of evil Dampire’s.” Aloice answered. You could see the ripple of frustration and realization that no matter who asked, nobody would be able to get a ‘real’ answer from him. Being a known insane person had some pros when it came to keeping the magic world secret. Quickly the crowd dispersed as the bell rang. But Aloice’s social life was never the same, although he didn’t really notice. People were now always asking him questions and then being frustrated when he said the unbelievable shit the party had actually been through. Lydia thought it was hilarious.
They all had their fun not adventuring or doing anything magic for about a week, although there were frequent trips to the starside even if there wasn’t really a job for them to do and with the way time works there it had practically been 3 weeks for all four of them since they’d returned after thanksgiving break. It was at this time that Luca messaged the group. Asking them to meet him in the starside. So the lot of them packed their gear and starside clothes and convened at the Arlington.
“What do you think Luca wants us to do?” Samantha asked, “if we keep getting paid like last time I can put Johnny through college.” They walked through the restaurant to the starside doors.
“And yourself if you’d like.” Lydia replied as they stepped through and transformed.
“I don’t even know what I’d study.” Samantha said ruefully, “animals? I like animals.” Frank landed on Samantha’s arm and nuzzled into her a little bit.
“That’s a starting point, I want to study business, be like my dad.” Lydia smiled a little bit. Her dad was always busy so she didn’t get to spend as much time with him as she’d like but she still looked up to him.
“Theater is my practice of choice.” Aloice said dramatically, striking another insane pose before continuing to walk alongside the party.
“James, what do you want to study?” Lydia asked.
“Not really sure yet, probably gonna start with liberal arts and see what I like.” James said. “College is for figuring stuff out you know? And besides I’m only 17, 18 in July.”
“How are you and Lydia so old? I’m still 16.” Samantha said grumpily, crossing her arms.
“Maybe you skipped a grade?” Lydia suggested.
“Idk maybe? I don’t really remember anything before I turned about 10 I think. Memory totally wiped before that.” Samantha said, thinking hard.
“That’s highly concerning.” Lydia winced.
“Yea, I don’t remember mom or anything either. Just a picture. And I know I was taking care of Johnny since way before then… I don’t know, I thought that was kinda normal.”
“You are one fucked up lizard.” James breathed quietly.
“Maybe all lizards are fucked you don’t know.” Samantha huffed, glancing up and seeing Luca standing in front of a restaurant. “There he is.” Samantha scurried off to greet the vampire, avoiding the conversation.
“Ah, there you are.” Luca said, “glad you could all make it. It’s been a while.”
“What do you mean? We saw you like… three weeks ago?” Aloice asked confused.
“I spent some time in a bubble where time is fairly fast, the three weeks it’s been for you was about six for me. But I digress, it’s wonderful to see you.”
“Thanks, you have a new job for us?” Lydia asked.
“Not today I’m afraid, I have a friend who's a cleric of the same god as James. He’s highly experienced and it would do you all some good to hear what he has to say.” Luca replied, “I have a house a few blocks off the starside strip where he’s meeting us. Follow me.” James was by Luca’s side. The 17 year old didn’t really know how to act with Luca in public. They had been very casually very intimate. But James had no idea how to be casually affectionate or friendly or if that was acceptable at all?
Luca took notice of course, rolling his eyes and taking James’s hand. James became very flustered, his posture straightening and his cheeks becoming red.
Lydia cupped her hands over her mouth to make a cone “Bottom.”
“LYDIA I WILL MURDER YOU.” James seethed. Luca just chuckled lightly, taking this chance to put his arm around James’ waist as they walked. This did nothing to help James’ case. The banter continued all the way there with various levels of “shut up!” And “big ass forehead” but more clever until they made it to the… “house.”
The manor was probably the size of Lydia’s place. Although the architecture was distinctly Spanish with white plaster walls and red shingles. The inside was better described as a mix between Spanish and art deco. Although with some extremely elaborate stained glass windows. Luca set everyone up in the living room on a massive crème colored couch and said, “say what you want out loud, it should get there in a few minutes.”
James was the first to ask, eager to try out whatever magic was in the house. “Rum n coke.” He said.
“Iced tea.” Lydia added
“Coke?” Aloice asked out into the massive living room.
“Another coke, crab Rangoon.” Samantha finished. The five of them chatted for a bit, and sure enough a few minutes later one by one the items appeared floating through the air to their recipients.
“So, where’s this mystery cleric?” Lydia asked once drinks and crab rangoons were in hand.
“He should be here any mo-“ the doorbell rang “-ment.” Luca put his drink down and got up, moving over to the next room before returning with a man. Stark white hair and inky black skin.
“This is my friend…” Luca paused and stared at the drow man.
“Steve.” The man said, sounding unconvinced even of himself.
“Steve.” Luca finished, “he’s been a cleric for quite some time.”
“Who is he a cleric of?” James asked.
“I’m a cleric of a goddess who goes by many names. She’s present all throughout the world representing spring and fertility. Persephone.” Steve said. His voice was hard to read, as well as his expression. It was almost as if his face had been carved from stone.
“And who am I a cleric of?” James asked, leaning forward and listening with rapt attention.
“The very same goddess.”
“Why would a Greek goddess choose me?” James asked bewildered.
“She’s not just a Greek goddess. She’s every goddess of fertility and spring across all cultures. I chose to commune with her as Persephone. You could choose to commune with her as… our lady of Guadalupe if you so choose.” Steve suggested.
“You could smell this catholic guilt a mile away huh.” James chuckled ruefully. “Ok then, what does it mean to be a cleric of this entity?”
“It means what you want it to mean, it means what you make it.” Steve shrugged.
“That’s vague and frustrating.” James growled.
“It can be but you will find out what it means to you in time. I’ve been a cleric for over… well a very long time.” Steve smiled, “you have been a cleric for… two, three weeks?”
“Closer to four now I think? Moving between worlds makes time weird.”
“Indeed it does.” Steve smiled, “there is another aspect of your power I think should be explored. You are an asimar. That means that long long ago you had an angel in your bloodline. I would like to run a test if I could to find out who that angel is.”
“Sure.” James shrugged, “it would be cool to know who my many many greats grandparent is.”
“Alright, one moment.” Steve left to the adjacent kitchen and came back with a tea saucer with a little bit of water in it. He places it down on the table in front of James. Then Steve took a knife out of his pocket and handed it to James. “Just a little bit of blood.” James shrugged and took the knife, cutting his palm over the saucer and letting a few drops go in before he used a minor spell to seal up the cut.
Steve cast a spell over the saucer and watched it for a moment. He was silent. Then he turned to Luca and pointed at the saucer. Luca looked surprised. Then the two began to speak in a language that none of the quad understood.
“Wait what’s happening?” James asked in alarm, standing up and looking at the saucer. It was shimmering a little bit but other than that James didn’t see anything.
“Luca get three more saucers.” Steve commanded Luca dashed to the kitchen Luca came back quickly with the three requested saucers and placed them in front of the remaining three, “you three, take that knife and give the saucers some blood.” Luca had a cup he was using to pour water Into the saucers. Quickly the other three cut their hands and put blood in the saucers. Steve waved his hand absentmindedly and all of the cuts were instantly healed. Then he cast the same spell over the other three. Now Steve’s stoic face finally went wide.
He then got to his feet, grabbed Luca, and began talking with him in that foreign language none of them could understand. It was a few agonizing minutes of mystery and murmuring before the pair returned.
“There has been a development.” Steve announced, “the four of you. It would appear you have an intertwined Destiny.”
“What in the YA novel is this?” Lydia grumbled.
“It’s unclear what your Destiny is exactly. But each of you have individual and intertwined fates and Destiny’s to find. It could be anything, from watering one plant in some desert somewhere to assassinating an arch duke. It can be anything. But from what I can tell you guys have something… big as your destiny.” Lydia looked pissed. James looked tired. Samantha looked excited. And Aloice looked just as anxious as he always did.
“Ok, and when can we expect this… destiny to happen?” Lydia asked.
“It’s unclear, a lot is.” Steve said ruefully. “But that’s not all.”
“What else?” Lydia groaned.
“James, you don’t have an angel far back in your bloodline. Your dad is an angel.” Steve said. James for a few seconds felt like he was falling. His father is an angel? The man who knocked his mom up one night and vanished was an ANGEL? But Steve kept on going.
“Aloice, you don’t have a dad. I don’t know how but you just… don’t have one.” Steve said in bewilderment.
“But my dads in Ohio playing saxophone!” Aloice cried.
“Whoever that is, it’s not your dad.” Steve shrugged, “and Lydia, your dad isn’t human. I have no idea what exactly he is but he’s not human.” Lydia just shrugged, figuring she’d have a long conversation when she got home. If she was an elf woman who can chop a tree down with one swing her dad might as well be something.
“And Samantha, you are neither kobold nor human.” Steve finished.
“What!” Samantha jumped up, “look at me again are you sure?” Samantha was patting herself down from snout to tail, trying to find anything non kobold about herself.
“I’m sure Samantha, everyone, show me pictures of your parents.” Steve commanded. Lydia showed her an old picture of her mom and dad when they were still together. “Mom’s an elf, your dad is… I’m not sure. His disguise is very good.” James was next, with just a picture of his mom. “She’s human, but also she… There's something special about her. I’m not sure what it is.” Aloice was next, with a picture of his mom. And a separate picture of his dad “She is your mom, whoever that is I’m not even sure if he exists. Finally Samantha showed him her phone. Steve took this one out of Samantha’s hands.
“This woman isn’t your mother.” Steve said matter of fact, “and your brother isn’t related to you or this woman. Are there any pictures of your dad?”
“Uh, just a few from a long time ago.” Samantha answered, shaking, taking back her phone and scrolling all the way back to a picture of her and her dad. Her dad looked tired and apathetic while a young Samantha took a selfie with him. Using some kind of magic Steve was able to sort of grab the picture and project it like a hologram. He cast another spell and then visible to everyone was a dark purple aura around Samantha’s dad.
“Holy shit we have to go!” Steve shouted.